[v1.0.0] ARGENT - The Streamlined Doom 4 Mod

[Viscra Maelstrom]

the modern BFG feels a bit wonky to use. unintentional self-harm aside, it's really hard to get a good angle with the gun and hit as much as possible with it. maybe slow down the speed the ball travels at and have it attack more enemies at once? that'd give it more time to hit everything you'd want it to.

edit: also, the new SFX that isn't ripped from the game is a bit too loud in comparison. maybe drop it down a bit so the volume levels are balanced?

[Xaser]

Which sounds are too loud, exactly? Item pickups?

[Viscra Maelstrom]

yeah, compared to the gun sounds, the item and power-up sounds feel a bit too loud in comparison. not too incredibly so, but it's pretty noticable to me at least.

edit: also, the chainsaw attack sound loops in a weird way, making it suddenly "rev up" sound-wise while you're holding down the fire button.

[Xaser]

Told myself I'd stick to a more rapid release cycle, so here we go: v0.1.3 is now available from the usual place.

The changeloglog:

• Pistol's Charge altfire is now complete, featuring a nifty sprite edit by the Xaserperson.
• Modern BFG beams can now target up to 6 foes at once, and will no longer kill you if you walk through them.
• Weapon pickup and secret sounds added.
• Reduced pickup sound volumes a bit, for sanity.
• Fixed chainsaw idle sound not playing when starting a new map with it selected.

I don't think it requires a [G]ZDoom devbuild update, but as always, if you get a random DECORATE error, update first and post later.

Enjoy or somesuch!

[Jaxxoon R]

The secret sound is a bit goofy when you have randomized pitches on, maybe set its pitchshift value to zero. I've also never been a fan at all of the chainsaw's enemy-clamping mechanic, at least with this mod's version I can slip away from counterattacking enemies easier.

[Xaser]

Oh welp, I hadn't thought of pitch randomization -- I never use it myself.

I wonder if anyone here would be exceptionally dismayed if I were to disable pitch randomization for all the new sounds -- trying it out, it mungs up the timings on certain things (shotguns, gauss) and sounds awful in general, IMO. Plus there's already randomization in the sounds choice already, so the main problem of repetitiveness is solved.

[Viscra Maelstrom]

mayhaps not replace the Nazi actor in this mod? it'd screw up mods that replace the Nazi actor with something DEHACKED-ry, for example. (and it screws up the opening to Super Sonic Doom, though that's a really ancient ZDoom mod so stuff like this is a given.)

[wildweasel]

mayhaps not replace the Nazi actor in this mod? it'd screw up mods that replace the Nazi actor with something DEHACKED-ry, for example. (and it screws up the opening to Super Sonic Doom, though that's a really ancient ZDoom mod so stuff like this is a given.)

Honestly, Super Sonic Doom just needs a lot of fixing. There are a LOT of antiquated hacks going on with it that make it difficult to run properly in modern ZDoom/GZDoom and could be done much more cleanly with new features...especially the fake 3D buildings in the first zone. That's a real shame, because the level design in SSD is otherwise quite excellent, and it really deserves an update.

[Viscra Maelstrom]

actually, i think the level-design falls flat pretty quickly after replaying it a lot, to be honest. the first few levels are easily the best, because they're the biggest, most explorative, and it eases you into the game. but once you get a third way in to the volcano level, it all goes downhill to a lot of quite frankly frustrating design-choices: the volcano itself has too much instakill lava, and the screen shaking is annoying. then you start meeting the human enemies, which are way too fast, way too deadly, and are way overused and unfair to deal with, especially enemies like the berserkers, railgunners, rocket launcher guys and plasma rifle guys. and the level-design kind of gets really cramped and restrictive, which doesn't really accommodate the firefights with the incredibly dangerous new enemy roster well, like the new revenant devastators, mini-cyberdemons, malevolent souls and rail elementals.

my point still stands though with the nazi DEHACKED replacements in certain PWADs.

[Cryomundus]

mayhaps not replace the Nazi actor in this mod? it'd screw up mods that replace the Nazi actor with something DEHACKED-ry, for example. (and it screws up the opening to Super Sonic Doom, though that's a really ancient ZDoom mod so stuff like this is a given.)

I believe ARGENT is going to be a weapons mod.

DOOM4 IN DOOM is going have both enemies and weapons tho, maybe you're thinking of that one?

Also, Super Sonic Doom is pretty broken if you try it with any other mod, really. That and the human enemies are the cheapest pieces of shit in the entire game. They're too damn fast and they hit too damn hard. I got the the city section and I had to stop due to how easy it was to die at that point. Though, SSD had way, WAY too many death traps really.

[Viscra Maelstrom]

no, all the monsters in this mod have also been replaced with new versions to accommodate the new gore that this mod has. this also replaces the nazi actor, which is going to screw up mods like UAC Ultra and Scythe 2 since they used DEHACKED to replace the nazi actor with a new type of enemy. SSD certainly has some cheap shit in it, i'm just used to the frustration at this point due to having heavily binge-played it.

[Cryomundus]

no, all the monsters in this mod have also been replaced with new versions to accommodate the new gore that this mod has. this also replaces the nazi actor, which is going to screw up mods like UAC Ultra and Scythe 2 since they used DEHACKED to replace the nazi actor with a new type of enemy. SSD certainly has some cheap shit in it, i'm just used to the frustration at this point due to having heavily binge-played it.

Huh, wasn't aware of that.

Well, you can just go to the decorate file and comment out:

#include "actors/enemies.txt"

And that'll solve any enemy related issues.

I mean it's not like you really need the gore anyway...

[Xaser]

It's not a real solution if you have to hack up someone else's mod to do it.

At any rate, I'm hesitant to just remove the actor, because that's also going to make stun bombs not work on nazis in the future. What I may consider instead is something I tried to do for Psychic: include a few tiny patch wads with the distribution that fix mod-specific things. Prolly worth a brainstorming session to come up with notable mods that would benefit from this -- Scythe, UAC Ultra, and Deus Vult 2 are good candidates right off the bat. Maybe also un-vaccinated Valiant if I get extra-bored.

I will totally also accept submissions for said mod-patches too, if folks are willing (and the code don't suck ).

[Machalite]

There's a reason map makers replace the Nazi actor (or Keen): they're not going to use it otherwise. Most of the mapsets I play regularly these days don't use the Nazi, and more than a few of them replace it. Being as uncommon as it is to see Nazis, let alone in situations where they're a tangible threat, I don't think it's worth prioritizing making sure that they 'work' with the mod. If I'm playing something like TAT31 in Dark Tartarus, I could clear that entire room with- hang on... Yeah, three or four BFG shots. God, I love that thing. Just saying that being able to stun them wouldn't be of much gameplay consideration, and I don't see them often enough to care whether they can be gibbed or not.

I comment-out Nazi replacements in gameplay mods in situations like this, because I don't feel like gameplay mods are any less complete for lack of Nazi action. Just my perspective.

[Cryomundus]

I mean, one way or another you gotta change something if a mod happens to conflict with a mapset, be it convincing the mod creator to change something, editing the mod yourself, or editing to the map to be compatible with the mod. Somethings gonna give one way or another, so I'm just providing the how. If the mod creator won't budge than it's simply up to the other folks to either A) patch it themselves or B) move on to something else.